French Onion Soup!

This past weekend, Elijah, Jonah, my friend Beth, and I spent the morning in West Virginia. It was a beautiful drive! The leaves are changing color on all the trees, and then there was a dusting of snow/ice (but the roads were perfectly clear - my kind of snow!)... Like I said, beautiful! Why on earth would we drive all the way out there, though? Well, there's this tiny little town called Gap Mills. My mother's the one who first told me about it. When she told me she drove out there for cheese, I thought that was a bit crazy! And you may very well think that, too. This is one of those things you probably just have to see to understand. When you go, on one side of the road, there's the teeny tiny little bakery, and directly across from it is a cheese shop. The bakery has amazing pepperoni rolls, but they also have apple dumplings, sandwich rolls, pumpkin apple muffins, cookies, etc. The cheese shop has a ton of different cheeses - pepperoni cheese, garlic-herb yogurt cheese, Bermuda onion cheese, jalapeno-habenero cheese, in addition to the tradition Swiss, mozzarella, cheddar, etc. So if you buy cheese, you should find a recipe where you can use it, right? And since it's chilly, it's good soup weather! So tonight: French Onion Soup! I have never made French Onion soup before, other than just dumping a can of Campbell's French Onion soup in a pot. But that's a bit watery... just not the same! So I'm trying it tonight. The recipe I have is one where you make it in the microwave. Pretty simple. However, things are never simple in this house! Elijah's been complaining about his ears hurting, so he's got an appointment later this afternoon. And Isaiah's been out of town with my parents - he's coming back today. We'll probably leave to go trick-or-treating at Tanglewood Mall (depending on Elijah's doctor appointment, that is) fairly soon after he gets home. So I'm just throwing everything in the slow cooker. That way it should be ready when we get back from Elijah's appointment, and it will stay warm for Isaiah, too. We'll see what happens!

French Onion Soup

3 c water
1 can beef broth
3 Tbsp butter
4 cubes beef bouillon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 large onion, either thinly sliced or diced (however you like your soup!)
your choice of cheese (provolone, Swiss, mozzarella...)
croutons or toasted bread

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, stir, and cook High 4 hours. After spooning into bowls, top with croutons or toasted bread and the cheese (we're going to be using provolone tonight!). Enjoy!





This turned out really good! In my opinion, anyway. Josh wouldn't even try it - he said he doesn't like French onion soup. And we had to leave before Isaiah got back, so it was just me. But I thought it was good. I did add a little sour cream and seasoned salt, though. Not much, just enough to add a little flavor.

Ranch!

Ranch is a HUGE favorite in this house. We go through a lot of it. When I buy it, I buy it by the gallon. We use it for everything - chicken, lasagna, veggies, fries... If you go through as much of it as we do, you may find it cheaper to just make it yourself. This is another recipe from Miserly Moms that I just thought I'd share. To be honest, it's not one I make very often. While I like it and think it does taste like Ranch, Josh is a bit pickier than I am about his Ranch (although I'm like that with my ketchup...). Anyway, here's the Ranch recipe! (Play with it a bit yourself - I think it's almost a bit too runny, but that might just be me.)

"Ranch" Salad Dressing

3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/2 c buttermilk (or 1/2 c milk + 1/2 tsp vinegar)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients and blend well until smooth. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Tastes best if chilled overnight before serving.

Spaghetti!

Dinner tonight is pretty simple, something even Elijah can't turn down (as long as I get his out before I add the meat...)! Spaghetti! I have to say, I love to make my own sauce. And of course, since I rarely actually write it down, I always have something different each time. But what's wrong with that? It always tastes good!
The mix that I always start with is one I got from Miserly Moms by Jpnni McCoy. Anyone who is trying to cut costs, this is a must-read! It has tips on everything from making your own Ranch dressing to crafts for kids to saving money on groceries to gift ideas! With all these prices that are skyrocketing, finding ways to bring our bills down is something I'm always on the hunt for!

Spaghetti Herb Mix

1/2 c garlic powder
1/2 c onion powder
1/2 c dried oregano
3 Tbsp dried basil
3 Tbsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar

Mix well and store in airtight container. Makes 10 servings or uses. To use, blend 16 oz. diced tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the mix.

That's the recipe exactly like it is in the book. However, I tend to make some changes. With the mix, 1/2 c onion powder is just too much for me, so I tend to cut it back to somewhere between 1/3-1/4. I also think 3 Tbsp thyme and 3 Tbsp salt is a bit much, so I cut those in half. One last note about this recipe, if you make it as it is above, it will be a bit dry with just the 16 oz. tomatoes...

My Spaghetti Sauce!!!

1/8 c spaghetti herb mix
16 oz. petite diced tomatoes
29 oz. tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix all and heat until bubbling. Then mix with cooked spaghetti noodles. Serve with Parmesan cheese if
desired. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup!

Yes, I pulled my slow cooker out again. And once again, I just threw everything in and waited to see what happened. It turned out! Yummy! Super easy, super good. My kind of cooking! And even better since it has so few ingredients...

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 block Velveeta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
10 oz. broccoli, cooked & drained
small onion, chopped
dash paprika

Toss everything in the slow cooker & cook low 4 hours. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Drops!

Elijah & I made Pumpkin Drops last night for the first time! All day yesterday, he'd been begging to make cookies. I gave him the choice between Pumpkin Drops or Apple Spice Cookies - he wanted to make Pumpkin Drops. He helped measure the ingredients, dump everything in, and stir. They turned out really good! And the cinnamon icing is delicious! After they baked & cooled, I asked if he was ready to try one. Keep in mind, it was his idea to make these, and he requested the Pumpkin Drops. "No thank you. I don't like them!" Sigh. Go figure. Oh well! At least he had fun making them! We made so many, we shared with family, friends, and I'm sending a bunch with Josh to work tonight! (And if we see you at church tonight, you just might get one yourself! :)

Pumpkin Drops

1/2 c butter flavored shortening
3 c sugar
15 oz. pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
6 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp all-spice
1/2 tsp cloves

Frosting:
1/2 c butter, softened
2 1/2 c confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375. In a lg. bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in pumpkin, eggs, and milk. Add each other ingredient (except the frosting ingredients) one at a time, mixing well with each addition. (If dough seems too thick, just add a tiny bit of water.) Grease baking sheets. Drop by tablespoon-fulls about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-13 min., until lightly browned. Cool slightly before frosting, then cool completely & store in refrigerator.



To make frosting, combine all ingredients & beat until smooth.

Mac & Cheese!

Who doesn't like Macaroni & Cheese? It's definitely a favorite in this house! Although I have to admit, sometimes I get a little tired of it straight from the box! So if you want to dress it up a little, here's a great recipe! (Although if you have a kid who is super-picky about his mac & cheese, like Elijah is, they probably won't even try this. Elijah doesn't think it's mac & cheese since it's got the bread crumbs... Sigh.) If you want to jazz it up even more, add some diced tomatoes or green pepper. Yum!

Mac & Cheese

8 oz. pkg. macaroni (although if you already have a box of mac & cheese, go ahead & use it! just makes it a little cheesier!)
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c melted butter


Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni noodles according to the directions; drain. In a 9x13 baking dish, stir together all ingredients except the bread crumbs & butter. In a small bowl, mix together the butter & bread crumbs. Sprinkle this over the macaroni mixture. Bake 30-35 min., until top is golden. Enjoy!

Elephant Ears!

So this weekend, I was a huge slacker. Pretty much the extent of my cooking was just stirring sugar in my coffee! I spent a lot of time on the go with my parents, so that meant less time at home. We went to see Goodnight Moon at Hollins University on Sat. It was pretty cute - I have to admit, I'm impressed. Anyone who can take such a boring book (just being honest - the book where NOTHING happens!) and turn it into a little musical that actually has characters is pretty talented. :) Then yesterday, Elijah had Preschool Sunday at his preschool where they had breakfast for us and then the kids sang a couple songs in the church service. Then we rushed home, changed, and headed to the circus! We even took Isaiah (left Jonah home with Daddy, though). I'm glad we did. He was a little restless towards the end, but for the most part, he was fascinated! Clapping his hands, cheering... It was a lot of fun! Elijah's favorite parts of the circus were the performers with the swords and then elephants. So, in honor of his favorite circus animal, our recipe of the day is Elephant Ears! If you've never had one, they're really good! I remember I'd get one as a special treat every now and then when I was out with my Daddy.
Another plus about this recipe? Remember the other day when we made the tortilla casserole? We only used half a pack of tortillas. If you still have them, you can use the leftover tortillas to make this quick version of Elephant Ears. (A longer version would be actually making the dough & all yourself. Feel free to do that if you want, but I'm all about fast & easy!)

Elephant Ears

5 tortillas
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
oil for frying

Mix together cinnamon & sugar and set aside. In a skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil. Fry one tortilla at a time in the oil, browning on each side. Coat with the cinnamon/sugar mixture & serve immediately. Enjoy! :)

Beef Meatballs with Picante Glaze!

I found this recipe when I was digging through the coupon section of a Sunday paper one time. It's actually a Pace recipe (Campbell's?), I just added a bit of my own to it as well. If I didn't know that grape jelly really is a good ingredient in sauces (such as for the Little Smokies), I'd be really cautious. But I actually like jelly-based sauces, so I look forward to trying this one. Yep, it's my first time making it! I'm really curious to know how everyone else will like them. My guess is it'll be like every other recipe - Elijah won't even try it but everyone else will, and everyone else will enjoy it! But I'll let you know for sure!

Beef Meatballs with Picante Glaze

1 lb. ground beef (although I'd bet it's good with chicken or turkey, too)
1/4 c dry bread crumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
1/8 c finely chopped onion
1/3 tsp fennel
1 egg, beaten
16 oz. Picante sauce
1/3 c grape jelly

Heat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Mix beef, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, fennel, egg, and 1/4 c picante sauce in a large bowl. Shape mixture into 40 1-inch meatballs & place meatballs on baking sheet. Bake 15 min. or until cooked through, turning once halfway through. Heat remaining picante sauce & grape jelly in a skillet over med-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook 15 min. or until mixture is reduced to 1 cup. Add meatballs to skillet & cook until hot, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice or on toothpicks.

Apple Betty!

It's fall! And in addition to pumpkins and leaves, it means lots and lots of apples! (Check out Recipes for All on Facebook for another apple recipe today - Tarte Tatin.) I love apple pie, but I can't say I always like having to make a crust. The solution? Apple Betty! Pretty much just an apple pie without the crust! Delicious and easy - my kind of dessert! A great way to finish any meal. Dinner tonight is Ham & Swiss Stromboli, and I think even Elijah would eat that to get some Apple Betty... (and in case you were wondering, that bumpy pumpkin in the picture is the one that Elijah picked out!)

Apple Betty

4 c apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced
1/4 c orange juice
3/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c butter

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9-in. pie plate. Place apples in the pie plate and sprinkle with orange juice. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and spices. Cut in the butter until it produces coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake 45 min. Enjoy! (Especially good over icecream...)

Lasagna!

Time to dig out your slow cooker again! I do have another lasagna recipe, but this one is Josh's favorite. (The other one - a 5 cheese lasagna - is my favorite, though. I think Josh just prefers this one because it has meat while the other one does not.) I got this recipe from my friend Stacey. It's another super-easy recipe! But then again, aren't most slow cooker recipes? I tend to do most of my slow cooker recipes on Sundays - that way I can throw everything in when I get up, and it's usually ready right around the time we get home from church. If that's something you want to do, too, just make the meat sauce the night before, store it in the fridge, and then just grab it when you're ready for it the next morning. Another thing that I really like about this recipe is that it uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I don't know why, but something about ricotta cheese just grosses me out. Ugh!

Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
29 oz. tomato sauce
1 c water
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp basil
1 pkg. uncooked lasagna noodles
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese

Brown beef, cooking it over medium-high heat, along with the onion & garlic. Drain. Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt, and spices. In the slow cooker, layer the meat sauce, lasagna noodles, and cottage cheese. (Makes about 4 layers.) Cook on Low 3 hours.

Salsa Chicken!

This is a recipe I got from my friend Beth. I usually try to add something to recipes to sort of make them my own, but let's face it, there's nothing I could add to this one! Although I guess you could add some chopped onion or green pepper... It's so incredibly simple - I LOVE recipes where you can just use the meat even when it's frozen! Another wonderful thing about this recipe is that it's so cheap to make! I found seasoned pintos on sale - 39 cents each - so I stocked up. Now usually I hate beans. Really. Seriously. Beans are GROSS. They are disgusting and have no purpose except to be pushed around on your plate and make the other food look good. But they are incredibly nutritious, and to be honest, you can't even really taste them in this. (Otherwise I would definitely have had to take them out!) It does look disgusting when it's cooking (that's beans for you!), but at least it tastes good once it's done! And it's healthy, too... Also a plus! :)

Salsa Chicken

8-10 pieces frozen chicken
16 oz. jar salsa
1 can seasoned pinto beans
1 can black beans

Put chicken in slow cooker. Pour salsa & beans over it. Cook on Low 8 hours. Stir & shred. Serve over rice.

Serve with sour cream or extra salsa.

Tortilla Casserole!

This is an easy & tasty casserole that you fix in the microwave. If you want to take a break from your stove completely, you can even brown the meat in the microwave.

Tortilla Casserole

2 lbs. ground meat (I used venison because that's what I had, but you can use turkey, beef, chicken...)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz. taco sauce
1 can tomatoes & diced green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp hot sauce
4 tortillas
16 oz. sour cream
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Place the meat and onion in a skillet & brown over medium heat. Once the meat is brown, drain, and stir in the taco sauce, can of tomatoes, cumin, and hot sauce. Grease a 9x9 inch microwave safe dish. Place 1 tortilla in, sprinkle some of each of the cheeses, then spread some of the meat mixture over the cheese, then spread some sour cream on top. Top with another tortilla and layer again, and another time, ending with a tortilla on top. Place in microwave and cook on high 8-10 minutes, until heated through. Cool 2 minutes in microwave, then remove with oven mitts. Enjoy!


When I made this tonight, I didn't think to add the tomatoes. It's good without, but tomatoes would definitely have added a nice flavor! If you don't like diced green chilies, just add a plain can of diced tomatoes. Also, if you don't like hot things, just leave the splash of hot sauce out - it just adds a little flavor, too.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup!

I love that it's getting to be fall! I love the cooler weather - partly because cool weather means good soup weather! Although if I'd checked what the weather was supposed to be like today, I probably would have decided to fix something else... It's suppose to be close to 80 today! But I already have all of the ingredients for potato soup, and since we have a play date at the park later, I can just throw it all in the slow cooker so it's ready when we get home. This is actually a recipe my friend Connie sent me; I just added a bit to it. This is my first time ever fixing this recipe. Actually, it's my first time ever fixing potato soup! I use to always buy the frozen potato soup. So I'll have to let you know how it is! Until I got married, I would have sworn I didn't like potato soup at all. Turns out I just don't like potato soup with dumplings in it. Oh well - that's a good thing about cooking yourself - you can make whatever changes you like! Anyway, I'll let you know how it turns out!

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

2 bags Simply Diced Potatoes with Onions (beside the eggs in the grocery store)
2 cans chicken broth
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sour cream
1 can cream of potato soup
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 tsp chives
1/4 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/3 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp paprika
3.10 oz. pkg bacon bits

Add all to slow cooker & mix well. Cook on High 3 hours, then reduce to Low for 1 hour. Top with cheese and more bacon bits, if desired.



Another success! :) It tastes REALLY good! I think next time I make it, though, I'll chop up some onion, too, and Josh suggested I try it without the Ranch mix. Josh & Isaiah are enjoying it, too. Elijah, however, is sticking to his cheese crackers.... (If you want to try the original recipe that Connie gave me, just leave out the sour cream, chives, coriander, minced garlic, celery seed, paprika, and bacon.)

Octopus & Shells!

Here's a fun & simple recipe you can do with your kids. After all, what kid doesn't like mac & cheese and hot dogs?

Octopus & Shells (or Octopus & Seaweed)

8 hotdogs
1 pkg. either mac & cheese, shells & cheese, or Ramen noodles
green food coloring (unless you're using the shells & cheese)

Boil one large pot of water. Take each hot dog & quarter it lengthwise, only about halfway though. (Make sure it's all still attached!) You can even cut it into 8ths if you want. Drop each hotdog in the boiling water. (Kids may have fun watching the "legs" curl up while boiling.) While the hotdogs are cooking in the water, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. After the pasta is cooked & drained, add the food dye if it's plain mac & cheese or Ramen noodles. This makes the seaweed! If you made shells & cheese, you can still add the food dye if you want, or you can leave it just as shells. Either way! Then place a serving of pasta on each plate. Remove the hotdogs from the water & place on a paper towel to drain. Place a hotdog on each serving of pasta. You could even give each octopus a face with mustard or ketchup. Enjoy!

Brownies!

Okay, so I know brownies aren't exactly a dinner item. BUT my in-laws have 2/3s of my boys tonight, so I'm hoping (and praying!) that my husband & I can actually go out tonight. Yes, we'd have Jonah with us, but since he's still in his infant carrier, it's almost like he's not really there. As long as he eats beforehand, anyway! If we don't go out, I'll be making tortilla casserole; if that's the case, I'll be posting that recipe later as well! But either way, here is my all-time favorite brownie recipe. I know there are brownie mixes, but once I found this, I haven't gotten a mix again.

Delicious Brownies!

*2 c sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 c butter, melted
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c chopped nuts (optional, and your choice of nuts!)
1/4 c white chocolate chips (again, optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in the order given. With the white chocolate, you can either melt it and then drizzle on top after the brownies have baked, or you can do it the easy way (which is what I do!), and that's just go ahead and toss them in as well. (Drizzling makes it look nicer, but mixing them in is just plain easier.) Grease a 9x13 greased pan and bake 20-30 min., until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

* You can substitute the sugar with artificial sugar, but be warned, the taste goes, too! I tried it, and the brownies just didn't taste nearly as good. Still good, and extremely moist! But not as tasty. Just a side note!

Baked Herb Chicken!

We eat a LOT of chicken in this house. Mostly just because it's pretty much the cheapest meat. But there are also a ton of ways to fix it! So tonight, we're going for baked herb chicken. I'm changing up the recipe a bit, though, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

Baked Herb Chicken

2/3 c dry potato flakes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp caraway (optional)
1/4 c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine potato flakes, Parmesan, and herbs; mix well. Dip chicken in melted butter then cover with potato flake mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 45-60 min., or until chicken is tender & golden.

The chicken turned out very tasty! Elijah (my pickiest eater!) still didn't eat it, but he almost did, and that's saying something! Lol. Anyway, if there had been any more than 1/8 tsp caraway, it would have been too much. But I liked the hint of flavor this little bit provided. I know not everyone would, though, so I'd say that herb's optional rather than absolutely necessary. (Just thought I'd throw it in because that's one of those spices I rarely use...) I think this may be one of my new favorites!

Stuffed Pepper Soup!

Dinner tonight? Stuffed Pepper Soup! I love stuffed peppers, but I never make them. With three kids, who has the time to put much preparation into dinner? It seems like every time I set foot in the kitchen, that's when my baby decides he's hungry. Most of my cooking gets done after he's fed, when he and my 17-month-old are asleep and my 3-year old is playing nicely. I love slow cooker recipes because you can usually just dump everything in, set the timer, and walk away. (Now if only they invented kitchens that clean themselves!) I've made this recipe before, but this is my first time fixing it in the slow cooker. I'll let you know how it turns out, and how well it goes over with my family!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb. ground beef (or venison!)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 c diced onion
29 oz. can diced tomatoes
29 oz. can tomato sauce
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/3 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp savory
salt & pepper to taste
1 c brown rice

In a large skillet, brown the meat. Drain; place in slow cooker. Add all other ingredients to the slow cooker, and stir. Cook on Low 4 hours. Enjoy!



Soup was a success! Although it only took 4 hours to cook, so I changed that. Isaiah (17 months old) likes it, but no surprise that my 3 year old just wants pbj! Off to take some to my husband at work now! :)